Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2023

Publications

Know the Editor Alan Grossfield

University of Rochester Medical Center Associate Editor, Proteins Biophysical Journal

Editor’s Pick Biophysical Journal Small angle x-ray scattering investigation of the integration of free fatty acids in polysorbate 20 micelles Jörg Ehrit, Tobias W. Gräwert, Hendrik Göddeke, Petr V. Konarev, Dmitri I. Svergun, and Norbert Nagel “Polysorbate-containing formulations of biologics may occa sionally release free fatty acids upon polysorbate degrada tion. These free fatty acids may precipitate and form parti cles, which is undesirable for pharmaceutical formulations for subcutaneous injection. As polysorbate micelles should have the potential to incorporate free fatty acids and thus to prevent their precipitation, a better understanding of the in teraction of free fatty acids with polysorbate micelles should help to develop more robust pharmaceutical formulations of biologics. Here the authors present molecular modelling and experimental results that provide detailed information on interaction of free fatty acids with polysorbate micelles.”

Alan Grossfield

What has been your most exciting discovery as a biophysicist?

When I was a postdoc, I worked on modeling the solvation of simple ions by using a polarizable force field. I have a vivid memory of the day the free energy calculations finished: my colleagues looking over my shoulder as I added up the indi vidual free energies and corrections and cheering as all four came out within 1% of the experimental values. At a cocktail party of non-scientists, how would you explain what you do? I usually start by saying that our research is computer mod eling and wait to see if their eyes glaze over. If they’re still conscious, I say something like: We use computer models to connect the physics of molecules— the way they move, how they stick to the things they bump into, and how they change shape when they bind to each other—to their biological function.

Version of Record Published June 19, 2023 DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2023.06.011

Call for Papers

Deadline for submission: September 30, 2023

Image Courtesy: Samrat Mukhopadhyay’s Lab

Special Issue: Biological Condensates

Editors:

Samrat Mukhopadhyay (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali) Keren Lasker (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA) Galia Debelouchina (University of California, San Diego)

For more information, visit biophysics.org/biophysical-journal

July/August 2023

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